The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1887-07-21

reliant, courageous anu COnHueut IN MS own
ability to withstand temptation and to reprees
vice in whatever form it may appear.
Third-ln the proportion that you extend the
boundaries of governmental do you dwarf the energy,
the aspiration the effort and the responsibility of
the individual, and of those associations which are
formed for the purpose Of promoting the welfare
of humanity
as Maine with the most stringent laws to suppress
the liquor traffic what better be reason
ably expected in Texas, which is go different in
every reepeclg
Fifth-Local option and license, with such re
strictions aud regulations a. are upon the statute
book properly enforced, will accomplish all
needed reform; and the several counties of the
state can adopt The one policy or the other, as
popular sentiment demands, without provoking
that conflict between the sections, which would in
evitably result in the most intense antagonsm and
dislike should prohibition prevail because of the
excessive strength of one portion of the state
| the other at the ballot box.
SiXth-Prohibition cannot be otherwise than an
| experiment when fret tried, in TeXas,
so vastly different is her situation and surround
| ipgs from those of other states i'll which
it has prevail ed. 1t would, theief TO e, be exceed
ingly unwise for the people to bind themselves
| so closely and s permanently to the policy, as
| would be tho case should the amendment be
adopted. 1t would then becom- apat of tn. IT
ganic law, ani could rot be expunged tharefrom,
If at all, without great tronbl effort and bitter
ness of feeling, shou its practical operation no
be successful or agreeable to the people. ExU' ri
mental legislation if always dangerous, and, when
| attempted, SHOULD u eueCtpllUle vi an easy anu
There are other reasons which induce me to
oppose prohibition but feel that | have suf-
fciently answered you. Thanking you for the in
vitation extended me, | am very truly your
| obedient servant, JOSEPH ID. SAYtRs.
Major Joe H. Stewart was
the next speaker. He said he desired first
to treat this question from religious or
moral standpoint, swiftly passing from
| 10 70 hot tho
fermented liquor we now use, was the
identical same liquor used by the
patriarchs and apostles, utterly refuting
the prohibition assumption, that the wine
of the Bible was "biled wine," as asserted
| by DR.. Carroll and Others on the other
side. He passed from an exhaustive
scripture research to the legal phase of
the question, and presented an antithetical
argument to show that neither divine or
human law contemplated such an infringe
ment upon the personal liberties of man.
He declared that this republic came nearer
than any other government on earth In
assuring its citizens the free agency under
restricted laws that God j tended should
be exercised by every immortal soul.
From this Major Stewart passed to the
inalienable rights and personal freedom
of every citizen of this republic He il
Illustrated these rights, and pointed out
the restrictive laws that prevented him
from trespassing upon the rights of his
neighbor, and completely exploded the
fallacy that because law was restrictive
it was prohibitory. He closed his speech
in an eloquent peroratiou on individual
sovereignty, that ELECTED thunders of ap-
plause from his vast audience.
Col. Chas. R. Gibson, the chairman of
the Travis County Anti-Executive COM
mittee, was next introduced.
He said he did not intend to enter
fully into the questions that had
been SO ably discussed by those
who had preceded him, and, as it was late,
would touch upon two issues; first, the
construction of the amendment. He read
the amendment and dwelt with force upon
the fact, that, although some of the pro-
hibitionists declared under that amend
ment q man could manufacture liquor for
his own use, that the construction was
forced and erroneous, as proved by the
fact that exceptions for which he could
manufacture were specifically mentioned
in the amendment. He said: "The amend
ment allows you to manufacture for
sacramental, scientific, mechanical and
medicinal purposes, but no exception was
made in the amendment for mans own
use." Colonel Gibson said this was g
thing they, the prohibitionists, could
not agree upon, when some OF
their county speakers were asked
as lawyers to state positively what
was their construction of it. They an
swered: Mr.. Herndon says so. But
when further pressed, they said: Well
Colonel Anderson says so. But, what DC
you think? They give you no answer!
Colonel Gibson then passed to the in
fringement of the most sacred rights o
! individuals by this amendment, and b!
syllogstic argument and great variety o.
illustration, he demonstrated that 1t mean
to invade those rights and strike a dealt
blow to the genius and spirit of our instl
tntions that had been won by our grand,
fathers and held against all aggression
of the state for more than century. HI
closed his very eloquent Grafton by re
citing an anecdote that brought fortl
round after round of applause Oh hi
: splendid acting and its forcible applica
ton. After his speech, near sunset, tn
: vast crowd quietly dispersed to thel
homes.
In concluding this account of the best
the most popular, and the most successful
picnic that has been given during tn
campaign, Justice will not have been done
until the due amount of credit is given Il
the gentlemen who originated, engineered
: and carried it to the top note
of success. Mr.. Jake Harrell, quiet like
as he is, was always to be fount
when he was wanted, and was the real NOV
ing spirit of the whole business. In hi
generalship he had the able assistance o
George Pfenger, whom everybody knows
George Klmpel, Frank Schmidt, Her,
man Sakewitz, Chris. Nehring, Erns
Batterstadt, Will Wendelin, Carl Prin2
VIM. Suedecke and John Linscomb.
Give Them a Chance!